Me and the Devil
by emiliesravin
Summary: <html><head></head>prompt:"can u imagine a high school skimmons au where they hate each other and then they have to do that weird baby project in social class and they frickle fall in love and i just got a heart attack from this idea" / Skimmons High School AU</html>
1. I

Chapter One

It's not unusual for a child to play outside. To smell the freshly cut grass and feel it, as it tingles on the bare feet. It's not unusual to stare in the sky for a time that seemed like years back then and try to figure out the shapes of the clouds. And just like every other kid in the world Jemma used to do these things, too.

The difference was only in the way Jemma would look at these things.

Where her friends ran around she would pick up single grass straws and analyse them as deeply as she could. She'd take down notes of how fast the grass grows, where it grew the greenest, what to do so the straws felt softer. She would stare at the clouds, too, but she would look beyond. Jemma would look at the stars and she would try to figure out the different constellations, the rhythm of the moon, the movement of the sun.

Jemma wasn't quite like other children her age. She loved to go to school and learn how to count and write and read and history and geography and every single subject, really, but it wasn't just that she loved to do these things; she was also really good at all of these things.

Jemma had never seen studying as "studying". More of she saw it as a discovery, a journey that had to be mastered and thinking like that, of course, helped her motivation. She loved to learn new things and she loved to follow rules. It made her feel nice. And even though she already knew what the teacher was tutoring in most cases, she still loved to listen and hear their way of explanation.

But there are moments when even Jemma couldn't listen to the teacher explaining the same thing for the tenth time anymore, instead she would begin to analyse her fellow classmates with a narration that sounded like the voice-overs on documentaries.

"Here we see a group of young homo sapiens gathered. It is very likely to assume that this is a group of so called 'students' although their behaviour leaves my assumption unconfirmed. They might be in disguise so that the alfa-student, called 'teacher' will not attack the harmless youth."

But now, before Jemma had to go to work she was sitting in the local library. Her face was hidden behind a thick book on Einstein's theory of relativity when an unfamiliar voice interrupted her exciting read,

"Don't tell me that is what you do for fun."

Jemma looked up to find one of her fellow classmates looking at her with a certain disinterest. She knew that girl. Her name was Skye. Skye never talked in class, though, or not enough that Jemma could remember what her voice sounds like. Skye was that kid in class who'd sit in the back of the room and would either be sleeping, eating, on her phone or she wouldn't even be there in the first place. She hardly ever paid any attention and as far as Jemma knew it showed with her grades.

"Can I somehow help you?"

Jemma asked, raising one eyebrow in a fairly snarky way.

"Jeez, and there I thought you Brits would be polite."

Jemma only looked at her in response, still waiting for a question, the eyebrow still raised.

"Dude, I only wanted to start a conversation but shit, you can probably not even hear me from that high on your horse."

Skye shock her head in disbelief and went off. Jemma could only make out a "bitch" on her way out.

In the following weeks, whenever Skye and Jemma crossed paths they'd only stare with hatred in their eyes or one of them would roll their eyes annoyed simply by the sight of the other.

It was the last class of the day and more of that it was the last class on a Friday. Skye was keeping herself entertained by throwing paper balls at Jemma's back. For this sport she even sat further in the front, just to annoy Jemma on a more effective level. Also, whenever Jemma knew the correct answer to a question by Professor Hill, which is basically always the case, Skye sighed loudly or would hide "geek" under a cough.

In the last minutes of social class Professor Hill gave the class an assignment. She handed out a baby doll to every second student then she held a hat with names, which she had written while class, to the students without baby.

"I think it is pretty clear what your projects for the next two weeks will be. For those of you who haven't gotten the memo, yet:

Every student without a baby will pick a name from this hat. The two students together will be the baby's parents. You will have to give the baby a name, feed it and take care of it for the next two weeks. "

Skye picked up a piece of paper and unfolded it carefully.

"Oh, fuck no" she sighed.

"Can I pick another name?"

Skye asked desperately, almost begging.

"Nope"

Professor Hill answered coldly while continuing her walk through the classroom and without even turning around Jemma already knew. She threw her head in the back of her neck, rolled her eyes and mouthed:

"Oh, shit."


	2. II

Chapter Two

To Jemma's surprise Skye had a job. It was a waitressing job in a small café at the end of the town near where Skye lived. Jemma, on the other hand, lived close to their school therefore both agreed that Jemma would take the baby home with her until Skye's break at around 6.

Jemma felt incredibly stupid while waiting in line. There she was, an eighteen year old girl in line for a coffee with a doll in her arms. When it was finally her turn to give up an order Skye greeted the both with a chivvied grin.

"Look who's here, …_mom_."

Her smile wouldn't give it away but Skye was actually waiting for this assignment since beginning of the school year. It had been her plan all along. This project would save this class' grade.

Almost all year Skye did just enough not to fail and this plan never backfired. Other than most people thought, Skye was not stupid. In fact, Skye was really clever and she wouldn't have to do much for a good grade. All there is, is that she doesn't care enough about school to actually do something for a good grade. She understood everything and for Skye that was all that matters.

"God, I hope this doll won't take after you. I'd hate to have you as my daughter."

Jemma replied loosely looking down at the baby. Skye's grin immediately transformed into anger but she knew better than to bitch at Jemma, so she just mentally counted to three und sighed:

"My break starts in five. You want something while you wait?"

"I'll be fine. Thanks. I wait-" Jemma looks around and points to a free table "over there."

While Skye was getting the next costumer's order ready, she tried to calm herself. The steam that she used for the milk froth, she thought, helped the most. She could pretend to punch Jemma and the milk would turn out perfectly foam.

"Nick, I'll have my break now!"

Skye untied her apron and threw it over a chair. She grabbed an iced tea and walked over to Jemma.

Strangely automatically, as if they actually were a divorced couple already, Jemma handed Skye the baby so she would carry it for a moment.

"How was the afternoon with Bucky?"

"We're not calling it Bucky."

"But it needs a name!"

"True, it does, but step by step. First we should get the organisation right. What's your working schedule?"

Skye swallowed the sip of tea before answering.

"Every day after school from 4 to 9, _officially_. But Nick, the owner of this place, isn't too strict with the hours and I already told him about the project so.

And anyway, I did so many extra hours since I worked here, like I'm usually staying until 10:30 to help with cleaning, closing, inventory, plus the extra hours I do on weekends sometimes and so on, like my working schedule is no problemo."

Jemma's jaw dropped.

"Hold on," she began, her hand moving in front of her. "You did _extra _hours? Like, you did more than there was expected from you?"

"Well, princess, you read your science books and I work, so?"

"Wow."

Jemma thought for a moment when a tall, black man with an eye patch came up to their table and according to his nametag, he was the owner of this place.

"Everything alright, you two?

Wait- is that the baby?"

He took the doll by its leg and held it in front of him to examine it. He even flipped his patch for a better sight.

"Sorry to say that, Skye-babe, but-"

He placed the baby back on Skye's lab and put his patch in place.

"-that baby you got there is probably not yours. It way too white."

Nick and Skye shared a laugh but were interrupted by Jemma.

"They didn't have babies that looked Hispanic."

Skye and Nick fell silent in reply and just stared at Jemma.

"I'm Chinese."

Jemma's eyes grew big. Her cheeks flushed red from embarrassment. Her mouth opened but she couldn't bring her voice to make a sound. She looked away from Skye and down to the baby.

Nick began to laugh again and poked Skye. Neither of them was really mad at Jemma, to be honest. Hardly anyone who just met her or just saw her for the first time recognizes her as someone with Chinese origin. Even Jemma's answer, classifying her as Hispanic or anything Latin American is actually the most common heritage subscribed to her.

"Alright" Nick said and walked away. On his way back to the kitchen Jemma could hear him sigh amused, "white people."

"Sorry, I didn't-"

Jemma's freckles had disappeared. The only colour left in her face was the bloody red flush.

"Dude, that is really not the problem. And anyway, between the two of us, you are the foreigner."

Skye wasn't wrong there. In fact, she was right. Jemma was born in the United Kingdom and only moved here a few years ago when her dad got a new job here.

The space between them was somehow awkward. It definitely was from Jemma's side but Skye was simply amused. She enjoyed it that Jemma was embarrassed by something. The sudden silence between the two of them was interrupted just as sudden, when the baby in Skye's lab began to cry.

"Oh, shit. What happened?!"

"Don't swear in front of our kid!"

"Not the time for that Jemma, how do I turn this thing off?"

"Turn it off? Jesus fucking Christ, Skye!"

"Hey, don't swear in front of our kid!"

Jemma was eagerly looking for something in the back. The crying of the baby somehow broke the embarrassment.

"Maybe Loki is hungry?"

"First of: we will not call our kid Loki! Second, what do you think I'm looking for?"

Her arms far away from her, Skye was holding the baby away from her face. She thought it looked quite creepy, actually. The baby obviously couldn't blink so it would just stare with its dead eyes back at Skye while crying out for attention.

"Yes!"

Suddenly Jemma said, with her arm in the air successfully.

"Oh, god, bless." Skye held the baby close to Jemma's face. "Here take Barbara Gordon."

"Barbara Gordon?"

"Batgirl."

"Skye, we can't call our kid after Batgirl!"

"Why not?"

"You know, DC…Marvel, hell you know why not."

"Uh, right, here take Romanoff!"

Jemma rolled her eyes with a soft laugh but took the screaming plastic puppet nonetheless. She placed the baby softly in her arms and feed it with the fake bottle. Only seconds after that the baby was quiet and after a couple more minutes the baby was finished with its meal.

"Do you have siblings?"

Skye asked to Jemma's surprise.

"Huh? No, no I don't. Why you?"

"Me neither. I was just wondering because the way you just did this looked professional."

Jemma raised her eyebrow again but this time with a soft smile. She shook her head and had to turn away from Skye to the baby because she was feeling her cheeks began to blush again in a more flattered manner.

Skye was actually quiet surprised by herself. Did she just compliment Jemma? Immediately after she could have slapped herself. There is no need to tell Jemma she is good at anything, that would only feed her arrogant ego even more and she'd feel even more superior than she did already.

"I'll get another iced tea, you want something now?"

"No, I'll be good."

Still disgusted by herself that she complimented this narcissist Skye turned away. As soon as she had her back to their table she heard something that caught her attention again. She turned back and couldn't help but laugh satisfied at the sight of Jemma who was covered in fake baby-puke.

"Ah, shit. Fuck. Fuck. Shit."

"Oi, no swearing in front of Magneto!"


	3. III

Chapter Three

Because Skye just lived around the corner she had offered Jemma to loan her a clean shirt. Jemma would have to go to the other end of town for the simple purpose to change her shirt but they weren't done talking just yet. There were still quite some baby business talking to do.

When Jemma entered Skye's house she was quite surprised, actually, how tidy everything looked. Jemma still held the baby in her arms, trying not to think of the puke on her shirt or the mess the puke would cause in this house.

They headed towards what Jemma assumed was Skye's room but for that they had to pass the living room first. Slowly and with obvious curiosity Jemma examined the living room as she followed Skye. It was modern styled with black elements and if Jemma hadn't known a family lived here, nothing would have given that away. The only décor were small Asian accents, such as a small bonsai tree next to the sofa and other things Jemma couldn't name. But after all, it was a beautiful home.

When they reached the stairs that lead upstairs on one side and downstairs on the other, a sudden change of mood could be felt. Whereas the living room had no living at all, rather a feeling of fascination like a visit in an art gallery, the stairs warmed up the entire body and suddenly everything felt alive and loving, like family.

The staircase wall that lead downstairs to Skye's room was covered with photos of young Skye and the things she seemed to enjoy. The first photo that caught Jemma's attention was a picture of Skye where she must have been somewhere around the age of 5. Her front teeth were missing and yet she smiled happily. The brightly coloured schoolbag on her back was captain America themed, just like the shirt she was wearing, and a purple shorts were covering up her legs.

Jemma was looking at that photo for a while. Skye looked so happy and strangely enough, seeing Skye happy comforted her a lot and made her feel something, that could only be described as a warm hug. Another picture a bit down the road was Skye when she was even younger with a guitar on her lab way taller than the child herself. Jemma followed the photos with her fingers, tracing the hundred different smiles of Skye's, which varied from polite photo grin to genuine laughter.

Jemma hadn't realized it but she'd stared at all the photos for a good 15 minutes already. In the meantime Skye had started searching for a shirt for Jemma to change.

Jemma's finger stopped at the one of the few framed pictures upon the wall. The time the photo was taken Skye was probably 11 or so, and from all the photos upon this wall, Jemma thought this one looked the happiest. A woman was hugging Skye from behind and little Skye showed the woman what was hidden in the necklace she wore around her neck. The chain of the necklace was too long for Skye's tiny neck. But it wasn't just Skye that had caught Jemma's attention here, it was mostly the woman behind her that drew Jemma's curiosity. She knew this woman from somewhere but couldn't quite figure out wherefrom.

Looking at this photo for a longer time Jemma suddenly realized who she was.

"Skye?"

Jemma said a bit louder without taking her eyes off the photo. The other girl appeared in the door frame with a piece of clothing in her hand.

"Is that professor May?"

Professor May was Jemma and Skye's PE teacher and on top of that one of the strictest teachers in school.

A bit embarrassed but proudly Skye shakes her head.

"Yeah, that's… mom"

Obviously surprised by that new information the British girl looked at Skye.

"Your…mom?"

Skye tried to hold back a grin, even looked down to hide the smirk but her eyes were just smiling so for her. She walked up the stairs next to Jemma and looked at the photo.

Her fingertips tipped on the glass, the other hand moved up her throat and wrapped around the necklace she was still wearing. Skye talked to Jemma but her face didn't leave the photo once. Her voice was calm and spoke softly, almost nostalgic.

"That's the day mom gave me that very necklace."

A quiet moment followed, and then another and another, all while Skye was looking at the photo and Jemma can't really remember when exactly she began to study Skye's face. The way the corner of her lips raised softly, forming a small smile. The calm blush that had appeared on her cheeks and nose. The way Skye's eyes shone brightly, smiling even brighter than her mouth ever could. Jemma hadn't really paid attention to it before but Skye was beautiful and Jemma had this stupid feeling that she could study every bit of Skye's face and never grow tired of it.

Eventually, Skye sighed.

"Anyway, here"

She handed Jemma the purple piece of clothing in her hand, which was later made out to be a t-shirt, way too big for either of them, to be honest.

"How about you give me Peggy Carter here, and you get changed?"

While offering this, Skye pointed with her head towards her own room before taking the baby doll resting on Jemma's arm. On further notice it was probably not the best idea to have Jemma, who wore something entirely covered in fake baby puke, carry the baby close to her chest. When Skye took the doll in her hands she couldn't help but let out an oppressed laugh.

Jemma laughed, too, striking one strain of hair nervously out of her face. Both went in different directions, Skye upstairs where the bathroom is and Jemma downstairs to Skye's room.

In Skye's room she quickly changed the shirts. It kind of smelled sweet, Jemma thought, a bit like Skye and in the mirror that stuck to the closet she noticed she was blushing but what really rang her bell was the reflexion of Skye's room.

There was her natural skill, or weird habit, of examining everything again. She couldn't help but notice the extraordinary flair of Skye's room. Other than the living room this room looked almost exactly like Jemma would have thought Skye's room would look like, except for all the pictures and memories that stuck to the walls. She would have never guessed Skye was the kind of person to hang up baby photos of herself. It made Jemma almost envy her. All that Jemma had on her wall were different theories she's been working on.

The general mood of the room was a bit lighter than the living room. It was obviously messier but comfortable, somehow. And just like the stairs everything was covered with photos and posters and some notes.

In the corner next to the closet there was the same guitar from the photo leaning against the wall. It was what Skye had doodled on it that drew Jemma closer to it. Skye had drawn circles, lines and squares all over it. It somehow looked like it was in a specific order that Jemma would have loved to figure out what it was suppose to mean but after a few seconds that Jemma had spent staring at the marks something blinked in the corner of her eyes.

She followed the irritating light and saw a pointer light was sticking upon the opposite wall. It seemed like a wire was coming from it but stopped midway at a plug. Confused yet excited about what the use of that was, she quickly looked all around herself until she reached the guitar in her hands again. On the bottom of it was a second plug, and a third one was stuck on the floor where it was standing.

Carefully she put the guitar down and the light stopped blinking again. To be honest, Jemma was quite impressed that Skye knew how to build up such a system to protect her guitar.

"It's because I never play anymore"

Skye's voice was cold, almost stern. It felt somewhat strange as if she was somewhere in the distance although she stood right there in the doorframe. A sudden and annoying peep noise started and Jemma turned around to look for yet another source, just then she saw that the screen of Skye's laptop had also brightened up. A page long code that looked incredibly complicated, and on top of that, way too complicated for Jemma's comprehension appeared on the screen.

Helplessly, she pressed her hands on her ears to protect them from the horrible sound. Skye was still standing in the doorframe, smiling and shaking her head. She enjoyed seeing Jemma so confused for once. She always seemed to know everything, so seeing her so incredibly clueless for once was quite refreshing. But after Skye had pressed just a couple of letters on her keyboard the noise was silent.

"What the hell was that and how did you come here so fast?!"

There was such a piss in Jemma's voice but when Skye looked up from the screen and was ready for whatever arrogant comment would follow, she was actually surprised by the amusement that was written all over Jemma's face while she tried to study all the numbers and letters on the screen. Skye started to explain how the disconnection of the plugs wouldn't only set off the light alarm nor just the noise, but it would also send a direct message to Skye's phone. So she had already known someone picked it up before even the lights went on.

"I had no idea you knew how to do such a thing. That's pretty cool."

Jemma looked up from the screen. The excitement was visible up to her ears. Almost her entire face was blushing in a soft pink. Only her nose and ears were not pink; they were bright red. And on top of that, somewhere between line Jemma bit her lip.

"Thanks"

Skye said sheepishly.

For a moment both were quiet, both kind of started to study the other's face. Skye noticed how Jemma's lips had started to shake slightly as if she wanted to say something really desperately but wouldn't know how or what. Jemma noticed how Skye's eyes traced her own face and she couldn't help but mirror this action. A blush was clearly visible on either of their faces, slighter on Skye's face and more intensely on Jemma's, though. But again this time a baby's cry broke the silence.


	4. IV

Chapter four

But again this time a baby's cry interrupted the silence. Strangely enough, though, the baby was nowhere in sight although the cry was clearly audible. Jemma looked around the room and concentrated on the ever so repeating screaming of the baby's computer in its chest.

Skye's eyes shock open.

"Oh, shoot"

She said before jumping up and running to the door.

"Wait! Where are you going, where's the baby?"

"I was cleaning it up in the bathroom upstairs because it was full of puke but then the guitar-alarm went off and I forgot it's there!"

Both of them ran upstairs to the bathroom. By now it wasn't just the baby that was yelling.

"You forgot our baby?"

Jemma said sternly.

"You took my guitar!"

"But you forgot our freaking baby?!"

"No swearing, ay!"

"For fuck's sake, Skye, stop with the joking! Are you even taking this seriously?"

For a brief moment Skye's mouth formed a devilish smirk.

"Am I taking a baby doll with a programmed computer in its plastic chest seriously? I am taking this very seriously, thank you!", she said sarcastically.

Jemma was furious. She will not have her grade ruined because her project-mate wasn't putting any effort into it.

"Maybe it hasn't crossed your mind but I need to have a good grade on this project! I need to have good marks I want to go to college and simply because you don't give two shits about that kind of stuff, I shouldn't either?!"

"What are you even saying! You are getting perfect grades anyway. This, that I checked up on you and forgot about piece of plastic won't do any of us harm. Please just relax…God you're so uptight, how can you even walk with this stick so far up your ass."

"Relax? I have you us my project partner, and I should relax?"

The argument lost its volume. They weren't screaming or yelling furiously anymore, instead they were just bitter, mean and cold with each other.

"How can you not care at all? How can you be related with one of the strictest teachers in school and be so goddamn lazy! "

Jemma sighed before she said:

"I'm so sorry for your parents."

Suddenly Skye felt empty inside. She wished she had something to backfire at her but she had nothing in her hands. This, talking about her parents, is Skye's nerve and Jemma had already hit it the second time today. She knew she couldn't cry right now, she wouldn't give Jemma the satisfaction of showing any emotions but Skye knew where she stood with her parents. She knew how their relationship works and she knew that her parents love her, no matter what. With a cracked voice Skye said:

"No need to be."

Jemma's eyes flashed open as she realized how far from okay that has just been. She regretted saying that immediately after it came out of her mouth. Honestly, she had known idea what caused her to say that, really.

"Skye, listen I'm-"

Her voice echoed desperately.

"Please, you're not sorry."

Her eyes started to water and it hit Jemma that this was the second time today she had said such a thing. Jemma was looking for her voice to continue but even when she managed to continue speaking, it was still just with such a small voice.

"I _am_ sorry, believe me, please. I know I can be an asshole, I know that, but really… saying something like that is way off-limits. Please, Skye, I'm sorry."

This whole thing felt strange. Why would Jemma apologize now but not earlier? Anyway, somehow Skye could feel the sincerity in Jemma's voice.

For a second Skye had to look around. Somehow she tried to avoid looking into Jemma's eyes because she felt like she'd cry if she did. Within split seconds Skye tried to remember the way from her room…

Was there anything on the wall that gave her secret away? Is that way Jemma apologized now but not earlier today?

Does anything in this house scream

_"__adopted child on board be careful with the following topics: 1. Parents 2. that's __literally__ it, that's the weak spot. 100% of the adopted children will probably cry. Thank you for your attention."_

**?**

Every effort not to get her eyes anyhow watery was unsuccessful. Skye sighed deeply before turning to Jemma before she waved it off.

"Forget about it, it's…well, not okay but it's alright"

Skye rubbed her forehead. This whole moment was intense but she knew sooner or later they had to get along and strange enough, the fact that Jemma apologized or realized that she crossed a line made the whole situation more bearable. At least they're making baby steps in the "tolerating each other's existence" direction.

"How do you like the name Ava?"

Skye asked carefully.

Jemma felt very relieved and smiled. She dried one eye and said that she loved that name.

"It's beautiful. You want to call our baby that?"

"Yeah, I guess, ever since we both like it."

"Ava it is."

Another silent moment passed before Skye said that she was going to fetch fresh towels from downstairs. In reality she just needed a moment to herself but as soon as she left the bathroom her mom was waiting at the beginning of the stairs.

Melinda looked at Skye coldly then she signed that Skye should follow her downstairs. The direction Skye would have taken anyway. Skye was sure that her mother had heard the majority of what just went down but she had no clue how she'd react or what she'd say, if she was going to comment on it anyway.

Once they'd reached the kitchen, that's around the corner of the stairs on living room level, Melinda waited a second for Skye to get inside. Once she was in sight again Melinda started to search the kitchen. She seemed somehow unsettled and upset, a state that's highly unusual for her. She poured water in a teakettle, put it on the stove and prepared three cups.

"Do you think Jemma likes berry tea?"

Skye was really confused. Her mom _never_ cooks tea.

"I mean she's British, right, the British like any kind of tea. Then again I probably shouldn't settle with stereotypes because we come from great tea drinkers ourselves but we never drink it, so-"

"I'm sure any kind of tea is fine."

Melinda put the teabags down. She was with her back to Skye when she sighed deeply. This conversation they most probably were about to have wasn't a new one. In fact they had it numerous times because of different reasons. (But that never made it easier).

Like the first birthday Skye had spent with her new parents.

Skye was 11 at the time when Melinda and her husband Phil adopted her. They knew about Skye's past, they knew that she had troubles with the families she had been to this point so her behaviour in the May-Coulson household for her first months was not very surprising at all. Skye had tried hard not to get attached to Melinda and Phil, she never called them "Mom" or "Dad", always "Melinda" and "Phil" although both had insured her often that Mom and Dad would be fine.

Skye's birthday was three months after she was legally adopted or in other words: it had been two punched kids and four glue incidents since she got adopted.

For her 12th birthday she could invite however many kids she liked but the thing was: nobody she invited actually showed up. (Skye sure wasn't the most liked kid in school) Hence the whole party was quite sad but Skye acted as if it hadn't bothered her. She got used to being sad and she had ways to deal with her feelings, but crying was not a one of those.

So instead she rebelled. The infamous fifth glue incident happened that day but also something else that she had never experienced before happened. Not the part where Melinda and Phil yelled at her, she had a lot of people yell at her before and Melinda and Phil had been two of those people, no not that but instead they told her that they would not give up on her like that.

"You can try all you want, but listen, Skye, we will not give you up. You're part of our family now. You are in this family and whether you like it or not but we will not give you up!"

And then Skye did something she hadn't done in a long time. Sky cried in front of people and even more, she hugged Melinda and Phil. In the evening all three of them had a barbeque outside and eventually Melinda gave Skye her present. The third new thing within a day.

First she didn't even want to accept it but Melinda wouldn't listen. That day she got the golden necklace, which she's wearing to this day. It was empty when she got it but now it has Phil and Melinda's wedding photo inside.

The following days, she began to call them "Mom" and "Dad".

This was exactly the kind of conversation, it seemed, they were going to have now, too. Melinda, like so often, would ensure Skye that she's loved and wanted in this family even though Skye knows all of that. So when Melinda opened her mouth to say exactly that Skye had her arms tightly around her mother already.

"I know, Mom."

"And you know that we love you, nonetheless, right?, you know that you're the most important thing in our lives?"

"You're the most important thing in my life."

Somehow strange, all of them knew that their family wouldn't break up. In fact there was nothing that could split them up but still there was always this little spark of insecurity that just wouldn't go away.

For a moment they were just hugging and remembering that they have each other when they heard someone on the stairs. Soon after Jemma's voice came closer

"Skye? There were some towels- oh hey, Professor May"

"Hey, Professor May?"

Skye raised an eyebrow amused but Melinda ignored that.

The baby doll was wrapped in a purple towel, matching Jemma's shirt, and Jemma suddenly held it nervously in her arms. It's awkward to meet a teacher outside of school as it is, but actually being home at a teacher is even worse. And that it was one of her favourite teachers didn't help the situation, either.

Jemma looked like a deer in the spotlight of a car or at least she felt like that.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt-"

"You didn't, don't worry."

Melinda liked Jemma, too. She was an ambitious student, very bright and not too bad at sports, sometimes a bit too arrogant for Melinda's liking but all in all a good kid. But besides everything Melinda was certain that if she had no knowledge of Jemma's background whatsoever and heard the previous conversation, she'd stop liking her this instant.

"And Simmons, ever since you kind of impregnated my daughter and you two had the child within a day, science is amazing, you can call me Melinda here, unless that's too weird?"

"Kind of is, mom"

"Professor May, I think is fine, if you don't mind of course."

"No, not at all!" May rolled her eyes jokingly, "Hey, how about you stay for dinner?

You two can organize this whole baby project thing afterwards and then we'll drive you home.

How about that?"

Before neither Skye nor Jemma could say anything, Melinda took it as an accepted invitation and started chopping carrots.

Hello everyone!

I think it's far overdue to tell you guys how grateful i am that so many people enjoy this story so far (although, let's be honest, my grammar and English altogether sucks haha)

There were so many nice comments on this one already and I figured it's time I should tell you how i planned this story.

We're on the fourth chapter of about 12 (minimum 9, maximum 15 chapters. something between 9-15) and now that we're getting some background stories on the characters I think it's about time there will be a kiss now and then, ye, but at the moment it's just not right.

I hope you'll stick around for more, and please review (also possible on tumblr .com or twitter _jemmasimmcns) every feedback is a good feedback!

Thank you thank you

xx Laura

(ps: *brushes of tear* none of the characters used belong to me. all of the characters used belong to ABC's Marvel's Agents of SHIELD (if they were mine jemma would get treated better these episodes and bobbi and her would get a lesbian spy spin-off, amirite)


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